Perceptions of a DemiGod
by kobez2.0
Summary: The Gods have chosen to crown another God, Diana's friend Kal-El. Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, ponders her duty of bestowing this honour on him. Not a 'Ship-fic' but I suppose there is a slightly 'shippy' undertone.


Disclaimer: The rights for all involved or implied characters belong to their respective creators (re: Not me). I only write fanfiction for fun feedback and practice.

A/N: This story was inspired by a reading of the Superman Wikipedia page while listening to Pruit Igoe & Prophecies (that orchestral score that plays during Dr. Manhattan's first scenes on Mars in the Watchmen movie, when he's talking about photographs and his perception of time that was explained way better in the novel.) The beginning is semi-inspired by a Superman/Wonder Woman ship-fic I read a while back. I know that at some point Superman was offered God-hood but refused, I only know what I read off of Wikipedia as there is too much comic history and too few places to obtain back issues for me to get my information first hand. The Doomsday I used for this if the one from the animated movie Superman: Doomsday. Also, Big thanks to TheDarkPrinceofSaiyans (.net/u/1700275/) for being Beta for me. this story was made immeasurably better because of his involvement. Also a big thanks to Grendle1853, who's review made me take another look at this fic. Turns out I was in too big of a hurry to post and left in a bunch of errors.

* * *

She was already on her way to the throne room when her servant reached her.

"My Queen," she began.

"I know. Our Goddess is here." She rushed onwards. The Goddess would not be making a social call.

"Aphrodite. To what do we owe this honor?" she stated as she entered the throne room and bowed deeply, holding the pose until bidden to rise.

"We have no time for such formalities Hippolyta, there is work to be done." Hippolyta**, **Queen of the Amazons, rose and saw that the room was already void of anyone save themselves. Aphrodite swept by her and closed the massive doors, effectively enough sealing the room from prying eyes and ears.

"It has been decided to crown another God." The Goddess began, cutting to the chase.

"What?" The Gods were the first beings in existence, creating all things in their image. One could not just join their ranks. Her next question was more relevant. "Who should receive such an honor?"

"The mortal known as Superman."

"Diana's friend? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you will be the one to tell him."

"Why?" The Queen was growing tired of her questions being answered in ways that left her with more questions.

"He is on his way here. The decision was made very recently and I did not think it wise to stop him mid flight." Aphrodite said, before adding as an afterthought, "tell me child, am I wrong in assuming that you have already looked into his past with the Magic Sphere?"

"No Goddess. I grew concerned when Diana began telling me of him. I wanted to know what kind of male he was, who wielded such vast power that even Diana could not compare to him. If he is indeed coming here, we should rally a defense."

"Hippolyta, you know that no such thing would be effective against him. He brings Diana."

"Why does Diana not bring herself?" She felt her heart skip once in concern for her daughter, who was powerful in her own right. She had been blessed by the Gods and donned the mystical armor forged by the God Hyphestus. Even so, Diana had a way of battling powerful foes.

"Here child, let me show you." Aphrodite placed her palm against Hippolyta's forehead and the Queen's vision began to blur before everything went dark.

* * *

Doomsday was back. This was bad. Very bad. It was thought that he was gone. For good. But there he was on the monitor, tearing apart tanks and soldiers and taking missiles like it was nothing. He even took a full on punch from Kara like it was barely worth the effort of noticing.

Mr. Terrific checked the screen to see who was available, quickly disregarding all the heroes who would be killed outright. The obvious choice would be Superman, the Big Blue Boy Scout proving time and again to be the only one capable of confronting the Beast. However Superman was off world and out of the galaxy. He'd sent off a message but it would take some time for the message to get to Superman's ship. Green Lantern had been pulled away for some Lantern Corps crisis, another Lantern needed support and John had volunteered, wanting some time away after a bitter argument with Shayera. J'onn was incommunicado, having said something about spending time with his new family. That Left only Wonder Woman. He opened the frequency and made an All-Call.

"Wonder Woman, Doomsday in rampaging though Metropolis. Supergirl just engaged but she's going to need back-up."

"I'm on my way." She didn't bother asking where Kal was, the whole League had been on high alert since he'd left for space. Only Kara and Diana would have even a ghost of a chance at stopping the creature but the other heroes could help with evacuations and all the other things that need doing in disasters. And Doomsday was just that. A disaster.

* * *

By the time Diana had gotten there, Kara looked like she'd gone a few rounds with, well, Doomsday. She could no longer offer even the slightest resistance as the Beast kicked her around, almost like he was trying to play hacky sack.

While his attention was on Kara, Wonder Woman circled around and came in from behind. Drawing her sword, she hoped that the magically imbued weapon would give her the edge against the creature. She may not be as strong or as fast as Kal but she was faster than the lumbering behemoth that was Doomsday and she was damn sure a more skilled fighter.

She swung hard, the blade connecting solidly and slicing through its back. The Beast swung its massive bone-spiked fist as it roared in surprise, rage and maybe even a little pain. She ducked under the blow and thrust her sword with all her might, aiming for the creature's chest. The blade didn't penetrate but the force of the blow was enough to stagger him a step or two, she leapt back gliding a few hundred feet through the decimated and rubble strewn streets of downtown Metropolis with the roaring Beast hot on her heels, the ground shaking and buildings rattling with every step of its massive feet.

She planted her feet and kicked off, streaking towards the Beast as fast as she could with her sword trailing beside her then bringing it up to slash the creature's body. It reached out and effortlessly caught the weapon, his grip so hard the metal groaned in protest before the shape of its fingers were permanently pressed into the hardened and magical steel. It swung the sword, taking her with it. Even as she was tumbling through the air her hands reached for her lasso, thinking to bind the Beast within its unbreakable bonds and hopefully disable it with the surely superior strength of her Gods.

She righted herself, the rope already held loosely and swirling in her hands when she was able to regain control and turn to face her roaring opponent, but a well aimed car got caught in the swinging rope and pulled it from her hands. She looked briefly in disbelief at the car and a shadow fell over her, the sun being blotted out by the approaching figure of a roaring Doomsday. Both mammoth fists crashed down on her head, crumpling her to the ground before a spike-toed foot struck her arm that had been trying to protect her ribs, sending her careening into the distance and colliding with and bringing down an apartment complex.

"Terrific, what's the ETA on Kal!?" She screamed as she activated the communicator that had somehow remained in her ear, even as she prepared for another assault.

"Soon. The message should get to him soon."

The Beast loosed a fearsome roar as it approached, it's right fist cocked back to strike. Diana dodged to her left and punched with her right hand as hard as she could, her eyes bugging out, not only from the pain that the movement caused in her, probably broken, left arm but from the pain in her right fist due to the fact that the Beast was barely staggered. It gave her a back-hand swat, the spiky protrusions on its knuckles opening vicious gashes on her face and head, leaving a literal trail of blood as she spun headlong through the light left as her consciousness slipped briefly away.

* * *

"-Ke -p!"

"-na - ke –p!"

"Di-na-"

"Diana!" she was dazed and confused. Why was Mr. Terrific trying so hard to wake her up? A shadow fell over her and it all came flooding back. She rolled out of the way and leapt to her feet as the ground cratered inwards with Doomsday's landing. The Beast swung, trying to back-hand her again but she ducked under the massive limb and leapt into a back flip, using the momentum to kick Doomsday in the chin. She landed on both feet and looked up in time to see the Beast clasp both hands above its head. She rushed up hoping to stop the hands before they had the chance to put too much strength or momentum behind the blow, she grabbed on and pushed for all she was worth.

She had a whole new respect for Kal as the Beast forced her backwards and her feet touched ground. Kal had fought this thing on several occasions, matching it in terms of raw power. Her arms buckled and the fists connected with her head, turned downwards to protect her face. She was confused as she felt a grab rather than a blow and opened her eyes, slightly startled to realize that she'd closed them, just in time to see the spike covered knee rushing up at her. She sailed into the air but before she'd gained too much height Doomsday grabbed her ankle and used her as a club to smash the ground and then a car and a building wall, bringing the already weakened structure crashing down, before throwing her away. As she tumbled through the air she hoped there was nothing between her and where ever she landed.

She tumbled and rolled to a stop, slowly righting herself and wobbling a few times even as Doomsday roared and exploded out of the dust cloud sailing through the air at her. She couldn't do this much longer. Even fully rested she had been unable to do more than stagger him and now her strength was waning, but she wouldn't run and she wouldn't give up. She was Amazon, damn it! If she had to die then she would die as a Warrior! She took a few staggered steps and took to the air, wobbling noticeably before gaining her bearings and soaring to meet the now falling monster.

"Gaia give me strength!" She punched for all she was worth, surprised when Doomsday tumbled off course and crashed through a building that she hoped was deserted. Doomsday was earth bound**, **not a flying bone in his body. If she could turn it into an aerial battle then she might have a shot.

"He ugly! Up here!"

The Beast took the bait and leapt again, and again she prayed to Gaia before socking the creature right in the face and sending him careening back to the ground. She did this four or five times before she saw a sight that made her pale. Doomsday was holding her lost lasso. She tried to dodge as Doomsday hurled the knotted end at her but she was too battle weary and the magical lasso wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her sides, before it was tugged on and she was rocketing towards the Beasts onrushing fist. She was punched away and yanked back, and punched away and yanked back until blood slowed from her wounds.

It was getting harder to think, harder to breathe, and her vision was getting bleary. Her body snapped violently as she had no more strength to resist the punch/pull combo. One more punch and she was bordering unconsciousness. This time the yank on the rope wasn't so violent and instead of pulling her right to Doomsday, she went arcing overhead before being pulled ground wards. She hit the ground, cursing her Amazonian durability as the consciousness refused to leave her even as the pain piled up. She was yanked comparatively gently and tumbled a short distance before something solid stopped her progress. She looked up and saw the bottom of Doomsday's foot just as it reached the apex of its stomp. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for what would surely be the final blow.

There was a rumble like thunder and a bone shaking, ear popping _CRACK! _And she opened her eyes in time to see the foot, and the body it was connected to, go streaking off even as Kal bent down and loosed the lasso off and pulled it away from her. She could only hear pitches of ringing and through bleary eyes she thought he might be talking to her, possibly seeing if he could move her without exacerbating her injuries but suddenly he looked up and caught a flying car, re-directing its momentum so that it landed, and exploded, down the street as opposed to right on top of her. She barely registered the vibrations of the explosion. Suddenly he left her altogether, the red and blue streak moving in the direction she thought the car had come from.

She struggled to turn herself as another _CRACK _pierced through the ringing in her ears and she saw Kal standing strong and tall before taking to the sky and chasing down Doomsday as he went sailing through the air.

She could actually see the concussion wave as the two massive forces collided some miles away but there were a few more _CRACK_s and suddenly, through fading vision, Kal was flying towards her and she realized that that image would never leave her mind.

To her he had always been Kal; the goofy, shy, polite, gentle Kal. But this must be what everyone else sees when they look at him. This must be what the mortals felt when Superman was coming to save them.

* * *

She had witnessed her daughter fall in combat to the abomination, Doomsday and she had seen Superman save her life, and the lives of many others in the process. In that battle, she had seen power on par with the Gods themselves, and rage. A terrible Rage burning bright in his eyes. The kind of rage that would make _nations _tremble in fear at the power wielded by this one, single, being. But it wasn't the chauvinistic indignation that men often displayed when they thought they were acting as the knight in shining armor for a defenseless woman, or even the rage of seeing a close friend in so bad a state while the aggressor was still attacking her defenseless form. Although all that was there, the rage of a God, incensed that some creature was destroying all he had selflessly sworn to protect was foremost.

_It was decided by Zeus and agreed by the others that Kal-El of Krypton, the last of his kind and legendary hero to his adoptive home, shall be allowed the status of God. Not God-like, or Demi-God, but to make him a full-fledged God. Based not only on his immense physical power, but his deeds and character. It has fallen on me to give him the news. He has been on the Island once before__, wh__en my sisters and I were all turned to stone he had battled hard alongside my daughter, as her equal and not her superior, to save a land and people not his own. Recently he had saved my daughter from the abomination known as Doomsday. Aphrodite had shown me just before he arrived with Diana in the condition she was in. _

_Since arriving here three days ago__,__ he had yet to technically break the laws of my people, floating above the ground instead of actually setting foot on Amazonian soil, not that we would be able to enforce the Law should he choose to break it, even sporting the horrendous injuries that I had to talk him into letting our healers look at he would be more than a match for our army._

"Kal-El, it has been decided to offer you a home on Olympus. To make you a God."

_He __was__ genuinely confused__ by my words__. _

"After your battle with the abomination Doomsday, that even my daughter, their champion, couldn't defeat, they looked into the past and into your heart and deemed you worthy."

"I appreciate the offer your highness, but I have to decline."

_He is a strange man; Powerful, possibly more so than Zeus himself. And even though I told him that he was made a God, one of the divine beings my sisters and I pray to and ask for guidance or strength or wisdom, he has not yet set foot on our soil, in accordance with our laws. Perhaps he doesn't feel worthy of the hono__r__, going so far as to still show me the utmost respect, more than I ever expected a man, especially one so powerful as him, to be capable of showing to a woman. _

_A strange look crosses his face and his eyes dilate slightly as he looks at Diana before being replaced by relief, and he tells me that she is healing. I realize that he had used what Diana has called 'X-ray vision'. This man can look into a person's body, I've even heard that he can see your soul, and yet he does not think himself worthy of the status of God. Any other mortal would jump at the chance. But perhaps this is the key, he is not any other mortal. His parents, the Kent's of Smallville Kansas, have obviously done an excellent job of raising him. I would be interested to meet them, even his father, just to actually meet the people who raised a man like the one hovering, both literally and figuratively, by my daughter's bedside. If only more people, man and woman alike, had parents like his._

_Or perhaps I am mistaken. Perhaps it is not feelings of inadequacy that stay his acceptance of Zeus' offer, but arrogance? Perhaps he feels the _Gods_ are not worthy to be in _his_ company. I have been shown his life and I am aware of the history of the Gods and while I did not think that is the reason, I got my definitive answer two days later, when Diana awoke. I was talking with her when he came in from allowing the sunlight to replenish and sustain his body. His injuries seem to be healed but I don't suspect he's been sleeping since coming here. Possibly worried about accidentally offending us in some way._

"Superman?" _she seemed confused, probably not sure why he was on the Island. He seemed just as taken aback._

"Diana, you've never called me Superman before."

"I didn't think I ever would but fighting Doomsday- I fought so hard but it was no use. He was too strong. He had so much power. And then you came in and just... did away with him. Just before I blacked out I saw you flying towards me. And I remember thinking that that must be what mortals feel when Superman is coming to save them." _He seems at a loss for a moment._

"But Diana, I'm still just Kal."

_It isn't arrogance that stays his hand, he truly feels that he is no one special. He believes that his powers are part of him, but not the definitive part. _

_It is too bad that he had declined the offer, for whatever reason. The Gods could have __benefited__ from simply being in _His_ presence. _

_Fin_

* * *

A/N2: So there that is. It didn't quite turn out how I thought it would but I think it is just as good, if not better, than I had originally hoped it would be. Any way I hope you guys liked it, and now that I got this little plot bunny out of my system hopefully I can get back to my main project now.

Peace, and take care of each other.

-Kobez2.0- 2009-08-30


End file.
